E.R. Beckwith


Company Names, addresses, dates: 1
  Edmund R. Beckwith, 153 Halifax corner Market, Petersburg VA (1877-1882)
  E.R. Beckwith & Co, 1 n Sycamore Street, Petersburg VA (1886-1901)
  E.R. Beckwith & Co, 5 n Washington Street, Petersburg VA (1903-1909)
  E.R. Beckwith & Co, 7 n Washington Street, Petersburg VA (1911)

Notes:
 Edmund Ruffin Beckwith (1845-1912)2 had a twin brother named John.3

Edmund was listed as a clerk in the 1870 & 1872 Petersburg city directories, and as owning his own drugstore in the 1877 directory. The address was formerly the J.W. Goodwyn drugstore.1

His grandfather, Dr. John Beckwith, created the "Beckwith's Anti-Dyspeptic Pills" circa 1820, and Edmond manufactured and sold said pills using the original formula.4

Starting about 1891 I see ads for "Beckwith's Liver Pills.5
Besides his grandfather, Edmond's father was also a doctor, so I don't know if the liver pills were created by Edmond, his father, or his grandfather.

The 1895 City directory lists both Beckwith's drugstore and the "Beckwith Specialty Company", both at the same address. The specialty company doesn't show up in the directories for any other years, so I guess it was short lived.

There was a fire in the building that housed Beckwith's Drugstore in 1901.6
This might be why he was listed at a new address in 1903.1


Bottles:
beckwith_01 This is a clear 5.3" bottle embossed:
vertical: E.R. BECKWITH & CO. / PHARMACISTS / PETERSBURG, VA.
base: B
beckwith_02 These are clear bottles. Left is 6.25" and right is 4.25" tall. They are both embossed:
vertical: (mortar & pestle) E.R. BECKWITH / PHARMACIST / PETERSBURG VA
The smaller one has something embossed on the base, but all I can make out is a "W".
beckwith_03 This is a 5.5" clear unembossed bottle with a label. Most of the label is faded, but here's what I beleive it says:
label: E.R. BECKWITH & CO., Pharmacists / (some hand-written stuff) / Sycamore & Washington Sts Petersburg, Va.


Other Items:
beckwith_04 This is a clear, 2.3" tall dose glass, embossed:
oval slug plate: E.R. BECKWITH & CO. / PHARMACIST / PETERSBURG, VA.
rear: TABLE SPOONS, TEA SPOONS (with gradations)


1 Petersburg VA city directories for years: 1866,70,72,77,79,82,86,88,91,93,95,97,99,1901,03,05,07,09,11,13,15,17-18,20-22,24,27,29,31,33,35,37,39,41,43,48,50,52,54-55,57,59
2 Find-a-grave entry for Edmond Ruffin Beckwith
3 Ancestry.com family tree information for Edmund Ruffin Beckwith
4 Richmond Christian Advocate, 23-Nov-1882, p.3 (ad for Beckwith's Anti-Dyspeptic Pills)
5 Blackstone Courier, p.2 (ad for Beckwith's Liver Pills)
6 Norfolk Dispatch, p.2


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This page last updated on March 26 2025.